Crane accidents are on the rise at construction sites in the US. Many of these accidents involve fatalities.

“A Port Arthur, Texas, refinery had some bad news recently when a contract construction worker was killed after a crane accident at a work site. The mishap happened in an area slated for further expansion, which was underway the day of the accident itself. Unfortunately, when rescue crews arrived in response to the call, the worker had died of his injuries,” recounted Brooks Schuelke, an Austin personal injury lawyer.

While the police, the refinery and the company that operates the refinery were aware of all the details of this horrific accident, many of them were not released pending further investigation. There are a number of scenarios that may have occurred to contribute to the accident, including an improperly maintained crane; a leased crane from another company that was defective; the operator not paying attention to what he was doing; the boom was defective or not properly maintained; regular safety checks were not carried out as required; or crane operator error. These are the things that an Austin personal injury lawyer needs to know to represent his client.

It won’t be until some of those details are sorted out that the family of the deceased will have any peace in understanding why they lost their loved one so suddenly. At this point, it would be a wise move to contact a seasoned attorney about the circumstances of this case and find out what may be done. “While a lawsuit will not bring their loved one back, it would help them continue on with some financial security,” explained Schuelke.

In many cases such as this, the details are very important in how the attorney puts together a case, specifically because it makes an enormous difference in who is sued. “For instance, if the crane was not properly maintained by the company that owned it – the company the man worked for – that would mean one thing. If the crane were leased from someone else and it was defective or not safety checked, that would mean another thing. All the details are vitally important to obtaining justice for those left behind,” Schuelke said.

The kind of lawsuit that would be filed here is a wrongful death lawsuit, which means there is a specific deadline to file under the statute of limitations. While is it extremely difficult to function emotionally and mentally after just losing someone you love, it is imperative you take action by consulting with an experienced Austin personal injury lawyer.